Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Raising Children Behind Bars

The rush to criminalize children has set the country on a dangerous path.

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An examination of crime control policies such as treating juveniles as adults leads me to question which century we live in. Have we reverted back hundreds of years to inventions such as debtor's prisons and prison hulks?

The evidence is clear - treating juveniles as we did hundreds of years ago accomplishes nothing in the way of crime control. This policy may appeal to the "get tough" ideological crowd, but the results stand in clear contrast.

Prosecutors and legislators may appear to be tough on crime, but they are actually contributing to future criminality. This policy must be reversed as soon as possible. Until the law is changed, prosecutors should refrain from the practice.

Crime is not a problem that can be solved, but is a condition that must be managed. In this case, we have managed to make the condition worse.

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